War and spy thrillers are famous genres in both TV and film, from James Bond to Jack Ryan to all the conventional and generic shows out there. Here comes HBO’s The Sympathizer, which is based on the 2015 novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen, offering something new that’s never been seen before. Not only is it set during the Vietnam War (and post-war), the lead actor and most of the cast are Vietnamese. However, is it all just token representation and diversity? Thankfully, the answer to that is no, and The Sympathizer is a series worth watching. Read on to find out why.

Deception Point

The Sympathizer

Just like the novel, HBO’s The Sympathizer incorporates elements from several genres, combining mystery, political, metafiction, black comedy, historical, spy, and war. After watching it, I would best describe it as an espionage war drama thriller with some black comedy and self-awareness sprinkled in. The story follows a North Vietnamese mole known as The Captain in the South Vietnamese army, who stays embedded in a South Vietnamese community in exile in the United States. While in the United States, the protagonist becomes a refugee and continues being a spy, and later even temporarily works as a cultural consultant for the filming of an American war movie set in the Vietnam War, which is meant to satirize movies such as 1979’s Apocalypse Now.

However, the best thing about the story and narrative in The Sympathizer is how it plays with duality. The Captain is not only a double agent, spy and mole, but he’s also of mixed race (half French and half Vietnamese) and an immigrant/refugee facing racism in the United States. The series also doesn’t shy away from exploring other complex subject matter, along with showing the perspective of the Communists. However, what intrigues me most about The Sympathizer is how it’s one of the few (or maybe only) modern big-budget productions to be set during the Vietnam War and specifically, the fall of Saigon (and its aftermath). That’s because it’s a topic unfamiliar to non-Americans or non-Vietnamese (like myself), and that makes it all fascinating to learn more about everything related to it. It’s a controversial and messy historical era, especially from the perspective of Americans, which is why it’s rarely depicted or explored in entertainment and pop culture.

The Sympathizer

Kudos to the showrunners and everyone who worked on The Sympathizer because it’s praiseworthy that a majority of the cast are Vietnamese and they speak in their native language for a majority of the series. This is a relatively new phenomenon that I embrace, with big Western productions giving proper representation in this regard, by allowing the actors to genuinely speak in their native language. Other recent shows that have done the same include Disney+ Hotstar’s Shogun. Of course, many of the characters also speak English but it’s nice to hear Vietnamese being the dominant language in this series, as it should.

There are a lot of moments of dry and sardonic humour, but it can get dark and tragic, which isn’t surprising considering that this is still a series set during a war. In addition, HBO’s The Sympathizer will probably be getting a lot of Emmy nominations next year because the highlight and MVP of the series is definitely actor Hoa Xuande, who plays the lead protagonist known only as The Captain. Despite never learning his real name (which fits the show’s theme considering how he’s a spy), he portrays the character with depth and layers of complexity that get peeled more and more with each episode. This is not a James Bond or Ethan Hunt type of spy. The Captain in The Sympathizer is a tragic character as things spiral worse and worse until he gets caught up in this twisted web of deceit and deception, but Hoa Xuande nails the part. This will certainly be his breakout role, and I hope to see more of the incredible actor in the future.

The Sympathizer

The rest of the cast is great too, including Sandra Oh and the ensemble of Vietnamese actors/actresses. That being said, HBO is devoting a lot of its marketing towards Robert Downey Jr. being in this series, and that’s probably to drum up interest for casual viewers to watch the show, which is an understandable tactic since he is now an Oscar winner. It does feel like Robert Downey Jr. delivers one of his best performances in HBO’s The Sympathizer. Though he’s only a supporting character in the series, Robert Downey Jr. actually plays not one, but multiple different roles and characters. Each of them are different, and it’s like a different side of the actor each time; he can be scummy, sleazy, flamboyant and more. There’s even one scene where he plays several characters at the same time, which is impressive. That being said, I still think the lead actor, Hoa Xuande, deserves more of the accolade and praise, so I hope that’s the cast when the series eventually premieres.

There are seven episodes in HBO’s The Sympathizer, and it’s meant to be a miniseries (since it adapts the whole book in one season). The best episode of the series is the one where he becomes the consultant for the American war movie set during the Vietnam War. It not only features some of the best meta jokes in the entire series but also offers some of its most powerful scenes as well, not to mention some surprise cameos from famous actors (I won’t spoil who they are). Last but not least, for some reason, there’s a durian reference in some of the episodes and that makes me happy as a Southeast Asian.

The Sympathizer

Not Pho Commies

The Sympathizer

HBO’s The Sympathizer offers a blend of humour, drama and tragedy, with amazing performances from its up-and-coming Australian-Vietnamese lead actor, Hoa Xuande, and Robert Downey Jr., as well as covering a unique Vietnam War setting that’s often avoided by major productions. Despite this being a miniseries, there’s a sequel novel to the source material, and I hope HBO decides to adapt that as well because there’s nothing else like The Sympathizer right now.

FINAL SCORE: 80/100

The Sympathizer is slated to premiere on HBO and HBO GO on 15 April 2024.